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Maintenance of Certifications

DQS Hong Kong

Founded in 1985 by the German Institute for Standardisation (DIN) and the German Society for Quality (DGQ), DQS is one of the world's most established independent management system certification bodies. DQS is a founding member of the International Certification Network (IQNet) and holds accreditations from the German Accreditation Body (DAkkS) alongside over 100 international accreditations, operating across more than 60 countries and regions.

Jan 24 , 2025

The maintenance of management system certification requires regular audits. A certificate may be suspended or invalidated if a regular audit is not completed in time.

IAF related Rules

According to ISO 17021 standard adopted by the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) associated with management system certifications like ISO 9001/14001/45001/27001, failure to conduct a Surveillance Audit in time will result in suspension of the certification.
Failure to complete the Recertification Audit within the required timeframe will result in failure to renew the certification and then it will become invalid.

During the suspension period, the certification is temporarily invalid and the organization cannot use the certificate, certification logo or the relevant certification statement.

IATF related Rules

The International Automotive Task Force (IATF) applies different rules for IATF 16949 certifications.

From 2025, failure to conduct a Surveillance Audit for a manufacturing site within the required timeframe will result in withdrawal of its IATF 16949 certification.
Failure to complete a Recertification Audit for a manufacturing site within the required timeframe will result in immediate withdrawal of its IATF 16949 certification.

An IATF 16949 certification may be suspended due to a major nonconformity or other reasons. The IATF 16949 certification is still valid during its suspension period.

Supervision in Mainland China

In particular, the market supervision authorities in mainland China may conduct random inspections of relevant local organizations.
The local authorities may penalize an organization if a false representation or statement is found in relation to its certification.
It is reported that some organizations have been fined for it.

Author

DQS Hong Kong

DQS Hong Kong specialises in certification auditing and training services across core disciplines including Information Security (ISO 27001), Quality Management (ISO 9001), and the Automotive Industry (IATF 16949). Our auditors bring deep sector-specific expertise, working closely with clients' operational realities to deliver actionable management insights and lasting commercial value — well beyond the boundaries of compliance alone.